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JULY 2013 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 SACWMP News Vine Biannual Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Weed Management Partnership The winter months are a time when significant preventative gains can be made against the spread of invasive species. Field preparations such as cutting standing dead invasives or path- way-clearing in dense infesta- tions can aid next season's work. Equally as important are the different initiatives that are co- ordinated among stakeholders during these months. An exam- ple of one such initiative is SACWMP’s recently established Gravel Quarry Recognition Program (GQRP), the newest component of our “Forest Friendly Campaign” - the pro- gram aims to seek out and rec- ognize regional suppliers of weed-free gravel. Quarries and gravel pits are perennially disturbed areas which make them prime habitat for many invasive plants. Inva- sive seeds may land on and contaminate recently mined sand and gravel (aggregate). When the contaminated aggre- gate is transported to a project site, these seeds are also distrib- uted, allowing the plants to become established and to flourish at the new location. Since January, SACWMP has been compiling a list of gravel suppliers in the region and working to establish an opera- tional framework for the GQRP . The next step in the process was to identify areas in the region that are suspected of having IE plant infestations due, in part, to the introduction of contaminat- ed gravel. In coordination with SACWMP partners, Georgia Department of Transportation, North Carolina Department of Transportation, and the Tennes- see Eastman Hiking Club, sev- eral such areas were identified, along with a list of gravel suppli- ers contracted for nearby pro- jects. Finally, a series of forms and protocols were drafted for the process of surveying and recog- nizing gravel quarries as “weed- free”. An inspection form, list of survey protocols, pit rating key, and list of recommended restorative seed mixes were adapted from similar efforts in the Great Smoky Mountain SACWMP’s New Weed-Free Quarry Program ‘Rocking’ Along Nicely SuperStar Volunteer—Glenn Court Drumroll, please! SACWMP would like to recognize Asheville’s own Glenn Court as our 2012 SuperStar Volunteer! Glenn is a freelance manuscript edi- tor and cat collector from Tidewater, Virginia. She came to Asheville just over two years ago and subsequently fell in love with the mountains. She participated in several 2012 SACWMP events, pulling loads of invasive exotic plants like garlic mus- tard and Japanese spiraea along the A.T. at our Lemon Gap, Mill Ridge, and Chestoa project areas. She also served as an organizer for the Ashe- ville Hiking Meetup Group, where she recruited many other hardwork- ing volunteers for SACWMP pro- jects. An avid amateur gardener, Glenn has a long history of battling privet and nonnative wisteria at home, and has learned about many other invasive plants through working with SACWMP. She is truly an invasive plant SuperStar! Inside this issue: SACWMP SUCCESS 2 KUDZU BUGS! 2 FEATURED WEED 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS 3 EXOTICS: ECO- LOGICAL TRAPS 4 Upcoming Work Days: July 15th—Hot Springs/Mill Ridge July 25th—Sam’s Gap August 10th—Stecoah Gap August 17th—Hot Springs/Mill Ridge September 2nd—Lemon Gap SACWMP Partners: Appalachian Trail Conservancy Western North Carolina Alliance Equinox Environmental NC Forest Service US Forest Service US Fish & Wildlife Service National Park Service TN Natural Areas National Park (GRSM) to aid SACWMP partners in this pro- cess. Following the establish- ment of these standards, SACWMP’s first quarry survey was scheduled, in coordination with GRSM for late March . While the GQRP is still in its early stages, it has great poten- tial to be successful in reducing the spread of IE species in the region. SACWMP hopes to bring together as many of the regions' stakeholders as possible to maximize our resources in an effort to identify and recognize suppliers of weed-free gravel. Another aim of this initiative is to increase awareness among agency partners and the general public of how invasive plants are spread. The hope is that increased awareness will lead to greater demand for weed-free material affecting industry-wide change. -Shawn Garrett, AmeriCorps ATC Intern *SACWMP would like to give a special thanks to Lisa Huff (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conser- vation) and Kristine Johnson (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) for their assistance and guidance through- out the process of establishing this program. Your help is greatly appreciated! “Working cooperatively to protect and restore the significant natural heritage of the Southern Appalachians by preventing, detecting, and controlling invasive exotic plants.” Glenn is all smiles while hiking the Smokies.
Transcript
Page 1: SACWMP News Vine - BugwoodCloud · the Great Smoky Mountain SACWMP’s New Weed-Free Quarry Program ‘Rocking’ Along Nicely SuperStar Volunteer—Glenn Court Drumroll, please!

JULY 2013 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

SACWMP News Vine Biannual Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian

Cooperative Weed Management Partnership

The winter months are a time when significant preventative gains can be made against the spread of invasive species. Field preparations such as cutting standing dead invasives or path-way-clearing in dense infesta-tions can aid next season's work. Equally as important are the different initiatives that are co-ordinated among stakeholders during these months. An exam-ple of one such initiative is SACWMP’s recently established Gravel Quarry Recognition Program (GQRP), the newest component of our “Forest Friendly Campaign” - the pro-gram aims to seek out and rec-ognize regional suppliers of weed-free gravel.

Quarries and gravel pits are perennially disturbed areas which make them prime habitat for many invasive plants. Inva-sive seeds may land on and contaminate recently mined sand and gravel (aggregate). When the contaminated aggre-gate is transported to a project site, these seeds are also distrib-uted, allowing the plants to become established and to

flourish at the new location. Since January, SACWMP has been compiling a list of gravel suppliers in the region and working to establish an opera-tional framework for the GQRP .

The next step in the process was to identify areas in the region that are suspected of having IE plant infestations due, in part, to the introduction of contaminat-ed gravel. In coordination with SACWMP partners, Georgia Department of Transportation, North Carolina Department of Transportation, and the Tennes-see Eastman Hiking Club, sev-eral such areas were identified, along with a list of gravel suppli-ers contracted for nearby pro-jects.

Finally, a series of forms and protocols were drafted for the process of surveying and recog-nizing gravel quarries as “weed-free”. An inspection form, list of survey protocols, pit rating key, and list of recommended restorative seed mixes were adapted from similar efforts in the Great Smoky Mountain

SACWMP’s New Weed-Free Quarry Program ‘Rocking’ Along Nicely

SuperStar Volunteer—Glenn Court

Drumroll, please! SACWMP would like to recognize Asheville’s own Glenn Court as our 2012 SuperStar Volunteer!

Glenn is a freelance manuscript edi-tor and cat collector from Tidewater, Virginia. She came to Asheville just over two years ago and subsequently fell in love with the mountains.

She participated in several 2012 SACWMP events, pulling loads of invasive exotic plants like garlic mus-tard and Japanese spiraea along the

A.T. at our Lemon Gap, Mill Ridge, and Chestoa project areas. She also served as an organizer for the Ashe-ville Hiking Meetup Group, where she recruited many other hardwork-ing volunteers for SACWMP pro-jects.

An avid amateur gardener, Glenn has a long history of battling privet and nonnative wisteria at home, and has learned about many other invasive plants through working with SACWMP. She is truly an invasive plant SuperStar!

Inside this issue:

SACWMP SUCCESS 2

KUDZU BUGS! 2

FEATURED WEED 3

ANNOUNCEMENTS 3

EXOTICS: ECO-

LOGICAL TRAPS

4

Upcoming Work Days:

July 15th—Hot Springs/Mill Ridge

July 25th—Sam’s Gap

August 10th—Stecoah Gap

August 17th—Hot Springs/Mill

Ridge

September 2nd—Lemon Gap

SACWMP Partners:

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Western North Carolina Alliance

Equinox Environmental

NC Forest Service

US Forest Service

US Fish & Wildlife Service

National Park Service

TN Natural Areas

National Park (GRSM) to aid SACWMP partners in this pro-cess. Following the establish-ment of these standards, SACWMP’s first quarry survey was scheduled, in coordination with GRSM for late March .

While the GQRP is still in its early stages, it has great poten-tial to be successful in reducing the spread of IE species in the region. SACWMP hopes to bring together as many of the regions' stakeholders as possible to maximize our resources in an effort to identify and recognize suppliers of weed-free gravel. Another aim of this initiative is to increase awareness among agency partners and the general public of how invasive plants are spread. The hope is that increased awareness will lead to greater demand for weed-free material affecting industry-wide change.

-Shawn Garrett, AmeriCorps ATC Intern

*SACWMP would like to give a special thanks to Lisa Huff (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conser-vation) and Kristine Johnson (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) for their assistance and guidance through-out the process of establishing this program. Your help is greatly appreciated!

“Working cooperatively to protect and restore the significant

natural heritage of the Southern Appalachians by preventing,

detecting, and controlling invasive exotic plants.”

Glenn is all smiles while

hiking the Smokies.

Page 2: SACWMP News Vine - BugwoodCloud · the Great Smoky Mountain SACWMP’s New Weed-Free Quarry Program ‘Rocking’ Along Nicely SuperStar Volunteer—Glenn Court Drumroll, please!

SACWMP volunteers have won the bat-

tle against Chinese Silvergrass invading

the Appalachian Trail at Sam’s Gap on

the border of North Carolina and Ten-

nessee!

A May 2010 inventory of invasive plants

along the trail in this area had listed Chi-

nese Silvergrass, Miscanthus sinensis, as the

major threat to native plants there. In

late summer of that year, we scheduled a

volunteer project to treat the plant, first

removing flowering heads that had just

begun to produce seeds, followed by

“cut-and-paint” treatment immediately

adjacent to the trail and backpack foliar

spray treatment farther from the path.

Miscanthus had, by this time, colonized

several clearings in the area and was

sprouting extensively beneath the forest

canopy up and down slope from the

trail.

The task appeared daunting during the

first year: the grass had grown into dense

five foot tall clumps of dense, saw-

toothed blades—flower and seed heads

reached over 6 feet and our volunteers

SACWMP Volunteers Turn Back Invasive Grass at Sam’s Gap!

feeding on small kudzu patches in Fall 2012. And in Asheville in late January of this year, I noticed one staying warm in the corner of my back windshield. Ento-mologists have indicated that the bug does utilize vehicles for protection from the elements and could very well be

In the fall of 2009, the Kudzu bug (Megacopta cribraria), an Asiatic insect, was observed in the Atlanta metropolitan area. At the time of the initial sightings, the insect was seen feeding on kudzu vines – could it possibly be an agent of biological control? The following spring and summer would reveal the true nature of these strange insects – they began feeding voraciously on not only kudzu, but all other available plants in the Leg-ume family, including highly important agricultural crops such as the soybean as well as native trees like black locust. So despite it’s enticing common name, the bug falls far short of what some scien-tists hoped could be a biological control agent in the suppression of kudzu.

Here in southwestern North Carolina, the insect has become increasingly preva-lent – I’ve personally observed it in sev-eral places in Brevard, clustering and

spreading via ‘hitchhiking’. In fact, a soy pest expert in Mississippi has tracked the bug’s journey along major east-west in-terstates, finding healthy populations in adjacent soy fields and kudzu patches. And at the westernmost confirmed infes-tation, a busy rest and truck stop with an adjoining kudzu patch, he sees license plates from Oklahoma, Texas and even further west, indications of where we might see the next infestation pop up.

Despite growing concerns, there are lessons we can learn from exotic pests such as the kudzu bug. Remembering to perform simple tasks like checking our vehicles for bugs, removal and eradica-tion upon discovery in the landscape, and, perhaps most importantly, not transporting potentially infected plants or their materials across borders; all of these can help to stop the spread of the inaccurately-named kudzu bug.

The Bug That Eats The Plant That Ate the South? — Owen Carson, Plant Ecologist

few re-sprouts remained. We decided

to venture deeper into forest and dis-

covered a front edge of the invasion in

the form of sparsely scattered young

sprouts from the previous years’ wind-

blown seeds. We spent the day trying

to track down and treat every one of

them and came away convinced that

our coverage was thorough and esti-

mated that 95% of the original Silver-

grass infestation had been eliminated.

It is difficult to totally eradicate inva-

sive exotic plants in most settings, and

there are many Miscanthus plants visible

on private property and roadsides away

from the general vicinity of the AT at

Sam’s Gap. We will re-visit this area

one more time later in 2013 to nip any

new plants in the bud, but should only

go back every few years to insure that

the trail there remains weed free.

SACWMP’s goal for a level of success-

ful treatment is 80% reduction of inva-

sive exotic species. So by every meas-

urement, our Sam’s Gap project has

been a huge success!

literally disappeared into areas within

these thickets. After a good day’s

work, there were still many plants that

remained untouched, but we felt good

at what we had treated.

This being our first attempt at focusing

on such a large silvergrass infestation,

we had no basis upon which to predict

a level of success. When we returned

to the site in 2011, we were pleased to

see that much of the infestation had

been set back. But there were still

many clumps left with re-sprouting at

the base of some of these, as well as

widely scattered new sprouts. So we

attacked them again, earlier this time,

before they went to seed, and felt we

had treated most of those that re-

mained.

During year three (2012), we again

visited the area and were overjoyed to

see “dead soldiers” everywhere

throughout the formerly infested clear-

ings. The brown remnants of Miscan-

thus, though still standing after a mild

winter, had been completely killed and

PAGE 2 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 JULY 2013

SACWMP NEWS VINE BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF THE

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN COOPERATIVE WEED MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP

Page 3: SACWMP News Vine - BugwoodCloud · the Great Smoky Mountain SACWMP’s New Weed-Free Quarry Program ‘Rocking’ Along Nicely SuperStar Volunteer—Glenn Court Drumroll, please!

PAGE 3 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 JULY 2013

It’s nearly summer—the spring ephem-

erals have come and gone and the forest

is alive, blanketed in a verdant, floral

display. Native bellworts, irises, and

orchids are starting to bloom, and trees

and shrubs are finishing their leaf-out;

filtered sunlight dapples the forest floor.

But not all is well with our native ecosys-

tems—a deceptive invasive exotic plant

lurks amidst the lush understory, waiting

to invade.

Japanese spiraea (Spiraea japonica), also

known as Japanese meadowsweet or

maybush, has increasingly become a

serious threat to the integrity of our

Southern Appalachian ecosystems. In-

troduced from Asia in the late 19th cen-

tury as an ornamental landscape plant

and still cultivated and planted today,

this shrub has since made its way deep

into our woods, utilizing Forest Service

roads and hiking trails as inroads. It is

usually observed in very dense infesta-

tions, commonly occurring along road-

sides and adjacent hillslopes but also

colonizing riparian areas when given the

opportunity. With its multiple-stemmed

arching habit, it creates thick entangle-

ments that shade out native vegetation

and provide poor quality habitat for

wildlife.

Featured Weed: Japanese Spiraea by Owen Carson, Plant Ecologist

In mid to late May (think: ‘maybush’),

Japanese spiraea begins to bloom, show-

ing off its bright pink corymbs (flower

clusters) all the way up until August.

Such a display is what tempted horticul-

turalists to import the plant to begin

with. After successful pollination, seeds

set from August through November

then spread via gravity, water, and soil

movement (most commonly during

roadside maintenance). The result: dense

monocultures in the understory, an eco-

logically-depauperate environment.

So what’s the plan? How do we combat

such a ferocious invader? Well,

SACWMP has spent a great deal of time

trying to manage the spread of this spe-

cies, most notably at Lemon Gap, a

high-traffic area along the Appalachian

Trail. We’ve organized hordes of volun-

teers to come out and clip or hand-pull

the plants, which have colonized acres of

nearby roadsides and adjacent hills.

We’ve made significant progress, but

each year that we don’t eradicate the

infestation means another year of seeds

in the soil bank and more opportunity

for the plant to spread into our forests.

We need your help! Many hands make

light work, and with your volunteer ef-

fort we could help rid the woods of this

scourge. Come join us on a control day

this coming summer: you’ll learn a ton

about identification, control, and moni-

toring of Japanese spiraea and other

invasive exotic plants, plus you’ll feel

great about helping to restore ecosystem

integrity within our forested lands!

SACWMP NEWS VINE BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF THE

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN COOPERATIVE WEED MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP

In mid to late May, a roadside infestation of Spiraea stands out

like a sore thumb with its showy, pink corymbs.

WNCA’s Bob Gale Recognized by Warren Wilson College

SACWMP is pleased to announce that Bob Gale, Public Lands Director

with the Western North Carolina Alliance and an integral member of the

SACWMP team, has been recognized by Warren Wilson College as the

2013 recipient of the Grace Lee Peace Award.

Bob was selected by the Warren Wilson College Service Program Staff and

the Service Program Advisory Committee as a community partner working

with Warren Wilson students to make a contribution to an important com-

munity issue. The award was established “to recognize outstanding accom-

plishments in engaging students in meaningful learning and service based in

the community.”

Vivian Williamson, a student who has worked with Bob and who presented

him with the award, described him as “an exceptional community servant

[whose] dedication to the eradication of invasive species and the preserva-

tion of our incredible natural land is remarkable and tireless”. Congratula-

tions to Bob, who exemplifies our commitment to preserving the natural

heritage of the Southern Appalachians!

Bob received the Grace Lee Peace Award in a ceremony at the college on

May 17.

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Equinox Environmental Receives ATC’s License Plate Grant Award

SACWMP is also pleased to announce that Equinox Environmental Con-

sultation & Design, Inc., has been awarded a grant through the Appalachi-

an Trail Conservancy’s 2013 License Plate Grant Award Program!

In 2012, the same grant was used by SACWMP to design, build, and pro-

mote the use of two boot brushes. Placed at major intersections along the

Appalachian Trail, the brushes are designed to increase awareness about the

spread of invasive exotic plants via human vectors; users can read interpre-

tive signage, then brush their boots clean before and after hiking.

Equinox plans to use this year’s award to focus on education. Specifically,

they plan to work with local educators in 4th through 12th grade to develop

invasive exotic plant lesson plans that can be applied in public schools.

They also plan on extending interactive invasive plant workshops to inter-

est groups that haven’t been a big part of SACWMP in the past, such as

master gardener’s clubs, homeowner’s associations, and local recreation

groups. The idea is to educate holistically, to reach out to those people

who don’t know a whole lot about invasive plants but would benefit from

learning about them.

Please contact Equinox or SACWMP if you are a member of a interest

group that wants to learn more about invasive plants!

Page 4: SACWMP News Vine - BugwoodCloud · the Great Smoky Mountain SACWMP’s New Weed-Free Quarry Program ‘Rocking’ Along Nicely SuperStar Volunteer—Glenn Court Drumroll, please!

160A Zillicoa St.

Asheville, NC 28801

828-254-3708

http://www.appalachiantrail.org

Western North Carolina Alliance

29 North Market St., Suite 610

Asheville, NC 28801

828-258-8737

37 Haywood St., Suite 100

Asheville, NC 28801

828-253-6856

http://www.equinoxenvironmental.com

Mountain Valleys RC&D Council

4388 Hwy 25-70, Suite 3

Marshall, NC 28753

828-649-3313 ext 5

http://www.mountainvalleysrcd.org

National Forests in North Carolina

160A Zillicoa St.

Asheville, NC 28801

828-257-4200

http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc

220 Sardis Road

Asheville NC 28806

828-667-5211

http://www.dfr.state.nc.us

160 Zillicoa St.

Asheville, NC 28801

828-258-3939 http://

www.fws.gov/asheville

67 Ranger Drive

Asheville, NC 28805

828-296-0850

W E ’RE ON THE W EB !

H T T P: / / W W W . S A C W M P . O R G

Southern Appalachian Cooperative Weed Management Partnership

SACWMP’s Partners

PAGE 4 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 JULY 2013

SACWMP NEWS VINE BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF THE

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN COOPERATIVE WEED MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP

Here at SACWMP, we’ve taken great steps to ensure that the

public makes well-informed decisions when it comes to their

landscapes, producing thousands of Do Not Plant/Do Not

Buy Pocket guides, holding numerous workshops, and have

recognizing several local nurseries for their commitment to the

sale of solely native plants. And it’s all part of our fight to

empower our citizens with the knowledge of why invasive

plants are so detrimental. That’s why we’re highlighting two

recent studies have sought to show the ecological ramifications

of a landscape planted with invasive exotics, both to wildlife

and potentially to ourselves.

The first study comes out of Georgia, where in 2009 dozens

of Cedar waxwings were inexplicably found dead. Upon

closer investigation, it became apparent that they had eaten

toxic doses of the berries of sacred bamboo (Nandina domesti-

ca), a commonly planted invasive-exotic shrub. The berries,

which contain cyanide, were the most available food source,

and so the birds gorged themselves to the point of poisoning

and death.

The second study illustrates how invasives can negatively

affect human health. Ecologists in Connecticut have shown a

direct correlation between the density of infestations of Japa-

nese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and black-legged ticks, a

primary vector of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease

(Borrelia burgdorferi). A common landscape plant, barberry’s

dense, arching foliage creates a near-perfect humid condition

for the ticks, which require consistent moisture to avoid

desiccation. Thus, dense infestations of Japanese barberry

support dense populations of black-legged ticks, which in

turn host a greater amount of the Lyme disease-causing bac-

teria.

These are just two small examples of the detriment to our

ecosystem that is spurred by invasive exotic plants that we

have placed in our landscapes. Let’s try and learn from situa-

tions like these, plant native so we can avoid the inadvertent

destruction of our natural communities and preserve the

flora and fauna which call these mountains home!

Invasives in the Landscape—Ecological Traps

A dense infestation of Japanese barberry dominates the understo-

ry of a forest, crowding out native plants and animals.


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